


A Chip and a Crack

by ZoeyWinterRose



Series: Cuphead and Mugman Oneshots And Other Stories! [1]
Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mental Breakdown, Suicide Attempt, cuphead being a good brother, cuphead being a prick, mention of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 09:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeyWinterRose/pseuds/ZoeyWinterRose
Summary: Cuphead thinks about all the debtors he's dealt with so far. He doesn't like what he's done and what he's putting his poor brother through so he wants to fix that.





	A Chip and a Crack

**Author's Note:**

> This took a few hours but I like how it turned out. Note I didn't have time to proof-read it so if you see a typo just let me know and I'll fix it! Also, my brother hated me for those so... sorry? Just read it, it's a thing.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear aside from the little dots of fluffy clouds akin to cotton candy. The gentle rush of a river could be heard from a short distance away. The birds seemed to be singing to the rhythm of the moving water. It was peaceful and beautiful.  
It should’ve been a happy day.  
It should’ve been a calm day.  
It should’ve been a day the boys were playing outside the house they grew up in, having fun and laughing like any other day.  
It wasn’t happy, though. It wasn’t calm. They weren’t playing or laughing or having fun. They were sitting under a tree in silence, letting the shade of the tree cover them from the sun and the rest of the world as Mugman fixed his chipped, cracked, and bruised brother.

“You need to be more careful, Cup.” Mugman scolded his brother in a motherly tone. “If this keeps up, I might not be able to fix ya.”  
“Yeah, I know Mugsy.” Cuphead kept his head down, never looking up at his brother. He could feel the gaze of his brother baring down on him. It was hard to meet, even if he had tried. So he didn’t try. He stared at the ground, playing with a piece of grass. He didn’t deserve his brother to be treating him like this. His brother shouldn’t be fixing him, he should be yelling at him. He should’ve been staying away from him. He should be doing anything but being with Cuphead. After all, Cuphead got them into this. It was his fault, his selfishness. His brother was too pure for him. He never deserved such a good brother.

He squeezed his eyes shut as his brother worked, lecturing him about being careful when dealing with the debtors. Cuphead ignore him, though, and started thinking again. His thoughts were louder and more violent than his brother’s gentle, sweet voice. Then, an idea struck him. 

“I hear that robot we gotta deal with is gonna-” Mugman was rambling when Cuphead cut him off.  
“I know how to fix this, Mugs.” The broken one spoke. “I can fix all of this.”  
“Yeah, I know how to fix it too, Cup.” Mugs replied, looking a little more than concerned at his brother. “We gotta get the contracts. Are ya sure you didn’t hit your head too hard?”  
“No, bro, I mean a way we don’t have to kill these people. We don’t have to be murderers.” Cuphead stood, milk spilling out the top of his head. Mugman stepped back in surprise.  
“How?” He cautiously asked, looking his brother up and down.  
“If I give myself up for both of us!” Cuphead exclaimed as a grinned plastered itself on his face. His brother’s eyes widened and mouth opened but nothing came out. “This ‘bout it, Mugsy! All these people get ta live, you get ta live! I’ve been bad, very bad so it won’t be that big ‘a deal!”

He stared at his brother, waiting for a reaction. His face fell when the only reaction he received was a look of horror and sorrow.  
“Mugs? Mugsy? Everything okay…?” He asked uncertainly. Mugman shook his head.  
“Stop. Just… stop.”  
“What d’ya mean ‘stop’? It’s the easiest way, bro! We have to, I have to! For you! So you can live and be happy-”  
“What would be the point?!” Mugman’s voice silenced the birds. Cuphead flinched at the tone his brother spoke it. He’d never heard him this angry before. “What would be the point,” Mugman continued in a calmer voice. “If I had to live without you? I just can’t do it, Cup. We’ve been together every single day since forever. What would I do without you” 

Silence hung over them. Cuphead watched his brother as the other clenched and unclenched his fists. It took a while before either of them could bring themselves to move. Cuphead sat down below the tree and stared at his hands. It would be so very easy to end all their troubles. His brother would be free. The world would have one less trouble kid to deal with. It was so tempting to just put his finger to his head and snap. It’d take one shot, honestly.  
“Cuphead.” Mugman’s broken voice broke him out of his thoughts. “What are you doing?”  
He looked at his brother. Tears went down the other mug’s face. Then he felt it. The power from his left. His arm was raised. He felt his fingers in snapping position.  
“Please, Cuphead, don’t. I need you. I need you.”  
He couldn’t think straight. His brother’s voice was just so distant. All he could think of what how much better this would be for Mugs. How happy his brother’s life could be.  
He didn’t notice his brother sitting in front of him. He didn’t hear the shaky breath being taken. 

He felt the hand on him, though. He felt it unfold his left hand from its position slowly and carefully. He felt Mug’s hand cradle.  
“You aren’t bad, Cup… You’re not.” He heard his brother’s cracking voice as he felt a warm arm gently encircle him. “You’re not bad, Cuphead. You’re good. You’re a good brother. You’re the best brother.”

Mugman gently pulled his brother closer, determined to not let go. Minutes passed, then hours. Before he knew it, it was getting dark. He felt his brother shaking. Slowly, he looked at the other cup. His pie-cut eyes met his brother’s. It was like a switch flipped. Cuphead’s eyes filled with tears and he sobbed. All Mug knew to do was hold on as tightly as possible, trying not to cry himself. Eventually, he broke too. The boys cried and cried, refusing to let each other go even when they drifted to sleep. 

 

The next morning was just as beautiful as the previous day. This time, though, the boys weren’t sitting in silence under the tree. Mugman was asleep, alone. He reached for the missing warmth of his brother and whimpered when he couldn’t find it. His eyes fluttered open, a loud yawn escaping his lips.  
“Cup?” He muttered while he rubbed his eyes. “Where’d ya go?”  
The forest gave no answer. His eyes widened. “CUPHEAD!” He shouted, hoping his brother could hear him. There was still no response. Tears welled up in his eyes. He stood and searched around the woods, screaming for his brother to come out. 

Then he saw him. Cuphead lay next to the river on his side, a new crack on the side of his head. Mug choked back a sob and sprinted over, latching onto his brother.  
“Oh golly, Cuphead… Oh no… no no no… You can’t… Please, didn’t you listen to anything I said?” He cried over the other cup. 

“Yeah, I heard ya.” Cuphead muttered, opening his eyes, his grin plastered back across his face. Mugman stopped crying and stared at his brother in shock.  
“Wha…?”  
Cuphead stood and stretched. “While you were nappin’, I decided ta nab some coins. These flower bastards are makin’ me think of goin’ vegetarian, those heartless pricks!”  
Mugman stared at his brother. He sniffed once, then burst into laughter. Cuphead chuckled and held his hand out for the other. Mugs took it.  
“Let’s go get those contracts so we can go home, Mugsy.”  
“Sure thing, brother.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you liked it! Please comment if you feel like it, I love getting feedback!


End file.
